Quite a few years ago, as I celebrated my 25th birthday with a party, I was surprised to receive an unusual present. The gift-giver smiled widely and said loudly, “It’s a nice, strong plant, so even you can’t kill it.”
I was well known in my circle of friends as an “anti-gardener” — how was I going to care for this piece of greenery?
For four years the plant received little care. I felt guilty (内疚的) just looking at it!
As a non-gardener, my offers to look after friends’ houses were met with laughter: “We appreciate (感激) the offer but, really, we don’t want to come home to a dead garden!” It didn’t occur to (想到) them that I just had no interest in having a garden. It was a choice, not a failing.
Some time later my husband accepted a job in Belgium. Because I couldn’t throw away a gift, I decided to ask my neighbor to care for my plant.
Our lovely house in Belgium had a beautiful garden. Slowly gardening became a part of my daily life, teaching me to slow down and to be happy in the silence of the garden. It was with regret that I left that garden to return to Sydney some months later.
Back home life soon went back to normal. Then one day, it occurred to me that I could start my own little garden. So, I went to collect my unwanted plant from my neighbor. I took the plant home, watered it and watched as its leaves turned from a lifeless yellow to a rich green within weeks. Many years on, I still don’t know the name of my first plant, but I do know that as it grows, so do I. It symbolises a change in me when I stopped listening to the voices around me and started to believe in myself.
11. When the author received a plant as a birthday gift, she felt _____.
A.funny | B.guilty | C.excited | D.displeased |
12. What did the author’s friends think of her?
A.Her anti-gardening was a weakness. |
B.She was bored with gardening. |
C.She was a good housekeeper. |
D.Her dead garden was ugly. |
13. How did the author deal with the plant before moving away?
A.She threw it away. |
B.She asked for help. |
C.She left it in the house. |
D.She gave it to a neighbor as a gift. |
14. The author’s stay in Belgium made her _____.
A.miss her days back in Sydney |
B.feel sorry for her first plant |
C.fall in love with gardening |
D.become strangely silent |
15. What does the author want to tell us from her experience?
A.We should try to be perfect. |
B.Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. |
C.We should learn to make clear choices. |
D.Don’t refuse something you’ve never tried. |